One Answer to a Chronic Cough

It’s interesting how many people ask me about my health. People want to see my new veneers and check to see if my warts are still gone (they are). My guess is that they assume that I have the other problems that I talk about in this column. Well, I don’t have many health problems, have never had a dental implant done, and haven’t taken the medications that I speak about in this column. Except for one, and now I’m almost off that entirely.

For years, I had a chronic cough. It worsened and developed into acute bronchitis a few times. Finally, I started using one of those inhalers that you’re supposed to use twice a day. That was the only answer that I had, and while I tried alternative means and was able to reduce the frequency of using the inhaler, I still needed it.

Here was a hint that I should have taken more seriously. Whenever I had cookies or cake, I would cough a little. My daughter used to chastise me, when she worked in my office, whenever I would sneak some of those goodies. But I still ate them, and with an office staff of about 14 people now, it’s always someone’s birthday or anniversary. And our patients are so generous that they bring in treats as well.

So then I came upon a book, Wheat Belly. Written by a cardiologist who suffers from severe gluten sensitivity, Wheat Belly covers the history of genetic engineering of wheat, the effects on his patients, and the remarkable responses they had when stopping all wheat products. Lots of us are sensitive to gluten, and it’s not just digestive sensitivity. Have you noticed that gluten sensitivity is a relatively new finding? There’s a reason for that. Wheat, which is the source of much of our gluten, has changed. With the magic of genetic engineering, we now have wheat crops which are heartier, have shorter growing seasons, are not as susceptible to weather and bugs. And with that same magic of genetic engineering, 5% of the gluten in that wheat has never been seen before. So, would it then make sense that our bodies don’t know what to do with this “new gluten?”

And so it is. Whether it’s whole grain or refined flour, it is made up of the same new, improved wheat, creating multiple health problems, most notably obesity and diabetes as well as respiratory problems. So, I stopped wheat products. My cough got better without medications. My chiropractor gave me some supplements to accelerate the process. And now I might use the inhaler once a month when I slip up.

What a discovery! And on the other side, with all the governmental regulations we have, don’t you think that there should be regulations forcing the chemical companies who create these new, improvedagricultural products to test them on real human beings before they are released to the public?

Lee N. Sheldon, DMD

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